Nima Fazeli

Nima Fazeli is an Assistant Professor of Robotics at the University of Michigan (2020–Present), holding courtesy appointments in Computer Science & Engineering (CSE) and Mechanical Engineering. He directs the Manipulation and Machine Intelligence (MMint) Lab, focusing on enabling dexterous robotic manipulation through multimodal representation learning, tactile sensing, and model-based reasoning. His work integrates mechanics, perception, controls, and planning to achieve autonomous interaction with uncertain environments.

• Education: PhD, MIT (2019); MSc, University of Maryland (2014); BSc, Amirkabir University of Technology (2011)

Research interests emphasize embodied intelligence, including visuo-tactile fusion, contact dynamics modeling, and cross-modal learning. Recent work explores tactile shadows, deformable object manipulation, and language-guided robot control. His research is supported by the NSF CAREER grant and National Robotics Initiative, with applications in manufacturing, assistive robotics, and space systems.

Publications span topics like tactile sensing hardware (e.g., GelSlim 4.0), visuo-tactile implicit representations (ViTaSCOPE), and failure recovery policies (Racer). His team’s work has been featured in outlets like The New York Times and BBC.

• Key Awards: NSF CAREER Grant (2024)

Teaching includes Introduction to Robotic Manipulation. Collaborations involve cross-disciplinary projects with mechanical, electrical, and biomedical engineering groups.